As their tactics backfire, they backtrack

As their tactics backfire, they backtrack

By Meenakshi Jain

The continued attempt to put a secular gloss on the iconoclastic fervour of Mahmud Ghaznavi is of a piece of the Marxist endeavour to sanitize medieval Indian history.


Mahmud’s reputation in the Muslim world rested on two inter-related accomplishments— breaking the idols of Al-Hind and dehoarding the temples of their treasures.


The destruction of Somnath was hailed as “the crowning glory of Islam over idolatry, and elevated Mahmud to the status of a hero”.

Though the relentless pressure of several aggrieved groups has forced left historians to backtrack on some of their more contentious assertions on Indian history, this seems a tactical retreat rather than a sincere rectification of position. The cosmetic changes made by Professor Satish Chandra in his Medieval India, textbook for Class XI, as well as the response of the Committee of Historians to the objections raised by Shri Dinanath Batra and others in the Delhi High Court, smack of a forced withdrawal. But whether forced or voluntary, the petitioners have undoubtedly secured some acceptance of their viewpoint, by no means a small achievement.

Lord Mahavira

Nonetheless, objections even to the revised left interpretation of Indian history remain, some of which bear recording. Despite the newly donned mask of neutrality, the antipathy to indigenous culture and traditions remains strong. This manifests itself, for instance, in the continued reference to the so-called Hindu take-over of Buddhist and Jain sacred sites. Two specific instances have been cited—that of the Jagannath temple at Puri (said to have originally been a Buddhist site) and the temple at Qutub (stated to have initially been a Jain shrine). However, no evidence to substantiate the claim has been presented.


The persistent reference to temple desecration by Hindu kings is obviously intended to underplay Islamic iconoclasm in the subcontinent. In this connection it is relevant to recall that Professor Andre Wink (Al-Hind, vol. II) found the evidence of Hindu destruction of Buddhist and Jain places of worship “too vague to be convincing,” and equally pertinently, not backed by shastric injunction.


Hindu rulers who appropriated idols of rival kings in times of warfare, honoured the images thus acquired, even building stately temples for them. The Chandella ruler, Yasovarman, for instance, built the Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho to house a gold image he had acquired from the Pratihara ruler. The Vijayanagar ruler, Krishnadeva Raya, likewise constructed the Krishnaswami temple for an image of Balkrishna procured during a campaign against the Gajapatis of Orissa, and the Vitthalswami temple for a Vitthala image brought from an expedition to Pandharpur. Such acts can hardly be viewed as at par with Islamic iconoclasm.


The continued attempt to put a secular gloss on the iconoclastic fervour of Mahmud Ghaznavi is of a piece of the Marxist endeavour to sanitize medieval Indian history. Mahmud’s reputation in the Muslim world rested on two inter-related accomplishments— breaking the idols of Al-Hind and dehoarding the temples of their treasures. The destruction of Somnath was hailed as “the crowning glory of Islam over idolatry, and elevated Mahmud to the status of a hero”. Mahmud’s iconoclasm, moreover, was always directed against non-Islamic objects. When he attacked the Ismailis (regarded as heretics by the Sunnis) in Multan, he did not destroy their mosque, but left it to decay.


The Committee of Historians has brushed the objection of the petitioners on the inadequate treatment of Hindu dynasties between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. That the objection is not without substance can be judged from the fact that among the ruling houses summarily dismissed or not mentioned at all are the Chandellas of Bundelkhand; the Paramaras of Malwa; the renowned Jayasimha Siddharaja of Gujarat: and the builders of the Lingaraja, Jagannath and Sun temples in Orissa. Surely exclusions of such magnitude reduce the authenticity of the text.


A few more examples of faulty presentation may be mentioned. Shankara has been dated to “probably” the ninth century, without clarifying that the tradition places him considerably earlier. An honest rendition demanded that the earlier dates associated with him also be given. Finally, it is remarkable that even now, while reconstructing the troubled history of the last two Sikh Gurus, recourse is taken to eighteenth century Persian works, and the Bichitr Natak, the near contemporary account written by Guru Tegh Bahadur’s son, Guru Gobind Singh, is not taken note of. But then selective use of sources has long been a Marxist preserve.


(The author is a noted columnist.)

As their tactics backfire, they backtrack

By Meenakshi Jain

The continued attempt to put a secular gloss on the iconoclastic fervour of Mahmud Ghaznavi is of a piece of the Marxist endeavour to sanitize medieval Indian history.


Mahmud’s reputation in the Muslim world rested on two inter-related accomplishments— breaking the idols of Al-Hind and dehoarding the temples of their treasures.


The destruction of Somnath was hailed as “the crowning glory of Islam over idolatry, and elevated Mahmud to the status of a hero”.

Though the relentless pressure of several aggrieved groups has forced left historians to backtrack on some of their more contentious assertions on Indian history, this seems a tactical retreat rather than a sincere rectification of position. The cosmetic changes made by Professor Satish Chandra in his Medieval India, textbook for Class XI, as well as the response of the Committee of Historians to the objections raised by Shri Dinanath Batra and others in the Delhi High Court, smack of a forced withdrawal. But whether forced or voluntary, the petitioners have undoubtedly secured some acceptance of their viewpoint, by no means a small achievement.

Lord Mahavira

Nonetheless, objections even to the revised left interpretation of Indian history remain, some of which bear recording. Despite the newly donned mask of neutrality, the antipathy to indigenous culture and traditions remains strong. This manifests itself, for instance, in the continued reference to the so-called Hindu take-over of Buddhist and Jain sacred sites. Two specific instances have been cited—that of the Jagannath temple at Puri (said to have originally been a Buddhist site) and the temple at Qutub (stated to have initially been a Jain shrine). However, no evidence to substantiate the claim has been presented.


The persistent reference to temple desecration by Hindu kings is obviously intended to underplay Islamic iconoclasm in the subcontinent. In this connection it is relevant to recall that Professor Andre Wink (Al-Hind, vol. II) found the evidence of Hindu destruction of Buddhist and Jain places of worship “too vague to be convincing,” and equally pertinently, not backed by shastric injunction.


Hindu rulers who appropriated idols of rival kings in times of warfare, honoured the images thus acquired, even building stately temples for them. The Chandella ruler, Yasovarman, for instance, built the Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho to house a gold image he had acquired from the Pratihara ruler. The Vijayanagar ruler, Krishnadeva Raya, likewise constructed the Krishnaswami temple for an image of Balkrishna procured during a campaign against the Gajapatis of Orissa, and the Vitthalswami temple for a Vitthala image brought from an expedition to Pandharpur. Such acts can hardly be viewed as at par with Islamic iconoclasm.


The continued attempt to put a secular gloss on the iconoclastic fervour of Mahmud Ghaznavi is of a piece of the Marxist endeavour to sanitize medieval Indian history. Mahmud’s reputation in the Muslim world rested on two inter-related accomplishments— breaking the idols of Al-Hind and dehoarding the temples of their treasures. The destruction of Somnath was hailed as “the crowning glory of Islam over idolatry, and elevated Mahmud to the status of a hero”. Mahmud’s iconoclasm, moreover, was always directed against non-Islamic objects. When he attacked the Ismailis (regarded as heretics by the Sunnis) in Multan, he did not destroy their mosque, but left it to decay.


The Committee of Historians has brushed the objection of the petitioners on the inadequate treatment of Hindu dynasties between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. That the objection is not without substance can be judged from the fact that among the ruling houses summarily dismissed or not mentioned at all are the Chandellas of Bundelkhand; the Paramaras of Malwa; the renowned Jayasimha Siddharaja of Gujarat: and the builders of the Lingaraja, Jagannath and Sun temples in Orissa. Surely exclusions of such magnitude reduce the authenticity of the text.


A few more examples of faulty presentation may be mentioned. Shankara has been dated to “probably” the ninth century, without clarifying that the tradition places him considerably earlier. An honest rendition demanded that the earlier dates associated with him also be given. Finally, it is remarkable that even now, while reconstructing the troubled history of the last two Sikh Gurus, recourse is taken to eighteenth century Persian works, and the Bichitr Natak, the near contemporary account written by Guru Tegh Bahadur’s son, Guru Gobind Singh, is not taken note of. But then selective use of sources has long been a Marxist preserve.


(The author is a noted columnist.)

Are Brahmins the Dalits of today?

Are Brahmins the Dalits of today?

May 23, 2006

At a time when the Congress government wants to raise the quota for Other Backward Classes to 49.5 per cent in private and public sectors, nobody talks about the plight of the upper castes. The public image of the Brahmins, for instance, is that of an affluent, pampered class. But is it so today?

Doctors in arms

There are 50 Sulabh Shauchalayas (public toilets) in Delhi; all of them are cleaned and looked after by Brahmins (this very welcome public institution was started by a Brahmin). A far cry from the elitist image that Brahmins have!

There are five to six Brahmins manning each Shauchalaya. They came to Delhi eight to ten years back looking for a source of income, as they were a minority in most of their villages, where Dalits are in majority (60 per cent to 65 per cent). In most villages in UP and Bihar, Dalits have a union which helps them secure jobs in villages.

At Ground Zero of the quota protests

Did you know that you also stumble upon a number of Brahmins working as coolies at Delhi's railway stations? One of them, Kripa Shankar Sharma, says while his daughter is doing her Bachelors in Science he is not sure if she will secure a job.

"Dalits often have five to six kids, but they are confident of placing them easily and well," he says. As a result, the Dalit population is increasing in villages. He adds: "Dalits are provided with housing, even their pigs have spaces; whereas there is no provision for gaushalas (cowsheds) for the cows of the Brahmins."

The middle class deserves what it is getting

You also find Brahmin rickshaw pullers in Delhi. 50 per cent of Patel Nagar's rickshaw pullers are Brahmins who like their brethren have moved to the city looking for jobs for lack of employment opportunities and poor education in their villages.

Even after toiling the whole day, Vijay Pratap and Sidharth Tiwari, two Brahmin rickshaw pullers, say they are hardly able to make ends meet. These men make about Rs 100 to Rs 150 on an average every day from which they pay a daily rent of Rs 25 for their rickshaws and Rs 500 to Rs 600 towards the rent of their rooms which is shared by 3 to 4 people or their families.

Did you also know that most rickshaw pullers in Banaras are Brahmins?

Do our institutes connect with the real India?

This reverse discrimination is also found in bureaucracy and politics. Most of the intellectual Brahmin Tamil class has emigrated outside Tamil Nadu. Only 5 seats out of 600 in the combined UP and Bihar assembly are held by Brahmins -- the rest are in the hands of the Yadavs.

400,000 Brahmins of the Kashmir valley, the once respected Kashmiri Pandits, now live as refugees in their own country, sometimes in refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi in appalling conditions. But who gives a damn about them? Their vote bank is negligible.

And this is not limited to the North alone. 75 per cent of domestic help and cooks in Andhra Pradesh are Brahmins. A study of the Brahmin community in a district in Andhra Pradesh (Brahmins of India by J Radhakrishna, published by Chugh Publications) reveals that today all purohits live below the poverty line.

Eighty per cent of those surveyed stated that their poverty and traditional style of dress and hair (tuft) had made them the butt of ridicule. Financial constraints coupled with the existing system of reservations for the 'backward classes' prevented them from providing secular education to their children.

Who are the real Dalits of India?

In fact, according to this study there has been an overall decline in the number of Brahmin students. With the average income of Brahmins being less than that of non-Brahmins, a high percentage of Brahmin students drop out at the intermediate level. In the 5 to 18 year age group, 44 per cent Brahmin students stopped education at the primary level and 36 per cent at the pre-matriculation level.

The study also found that 55 per cent of all Brahmins lived below the poverty line -- below a per capita income of Rs 650 a month. Since 45 per cent of the total population of India is officially stated to be below the poverty line it follows that the percentage of destitute Brahmins is 10 per cent higher than the all-India figure.

There is no reason to believe that the condition of Brahmins in other parts of the country is different. In this connection it would be revealing to quote the per capita income of various communities as stated by the Karnataka finance minister in the state assembly: Christians Rs 1,562, Vokkaligas Rs 914, Muslims Rs 794, Scheduled castes Rs 680, Scheduled Tribes Rs 577 and Brahmins Rs 537.

Appalling poverty compels many Brahmins to migrate to towns leading to spatial dispersal and consequent decline in their local influence and institutions. Brahmins initially turned to government jobs and modern occupations such as law and medicine. But preferential policies for the non-Brahmins have forced Brahmins to retreat in these spheres as well.

Caste shouldn't overwrite merit

According to the Andhra Pradesh study, the largest percentage of Brahmins today are employed as domestic servants. The unemployment rate among them is as high as 75 per cent. Seventy percent of Brahmins are still relying on their hereditary vocation. There are hundreds of families that are surviving on just Rs 500 per month as priests in various temples (Department of Endowments statistics).

Priests are under tremendous difficulty today, sometimes even forced to beg for alms for survival. There are innumerable instances in which Brahmin priests who spent a lifetime studying Vedas are being ridiculed and disrespected.

At Tamil Nadu's Ranganathaswamy Temple, a priest's monthly salary is Rs 300 (Census Department studies) and a daily allowance of one measure of rice. The government staff at the same temple receive Rs 2,500 plus per month. But these facts have not modified the priests' reputation as 'haves' and as 'exploiters.' The destitution of Hindu priests has moved none, not even the parties known for Hindu sympathy.

The tragedy of modern India is that the combined votes of Dalits/OBC and Muslims are enough for any government to be elected. The Congress quickly cashed in on it after Independence, but probably no other government than Sonia Gandhi's has gone so far in shamelessly dividing Indian society for garnering votes.

From the Indian Express: 'These measures will not achieve social justice'

The Indian government gives Rs 1,000 crores (Rs 10 billion) for salaries of imams in mosques and Rs 200 crores (Rs 2 billion) as Haj subsidies. But no such help is available to Brahmins and upper castes. As a result, not only the Brahmins, but also some of the other upper castes in the lower middle class are suffering in silence today, seeing the minorities slowly taking control of their majority.

How reservations fracture Hindu society

Anti-Brahminism originated in, and still prospers in anti-Hindu circles. It is particularly welcome among Marxists, missionaries, Muslims, separatists and Christian-backed Dalit movements of different hues. When they attack Brahmins, their target is unmistakably Hinduism.

So the question has to be asked: are the Brahmins (and other upper castes) of yesterday becoming the Dalits of today?

Francois Gautier

Anti-Brahmanism should stop!

Anti-Brahmanism should stop!

June 15, 2006

The first article published by rediff on Brahmins as an underprivileged community, brought a flurry of reactions, mostly of surprise: "What, Brahmins as toilet cleaners, coolies, rickshaw pullers, priests earning less than Rs 150 a month... How is it possible, we always thought that Brahmins were a rich, fat, arrogant community?"

Many Brahmins and other upper castes expressed online their relief that someone was speaking about their plight, that for once they were not attacked, made fun of, ridiculed. Of course there were also a few hostile e-mails, accusing the author of upper casteism, of anti-Dalits bias.

One would have thought however, that at a time when reservation was the hottest journalistic topic, the media would have seized this story and made it its own. After all, isn't impartial journalism to show both sides of the story?

Don't you think, for instance, that the discovery that all 50 Sulabh Shauchalayas (public toilets) in Delhi are cleaned and looked after by Brahmins -- traditionally the task of the lowest of the lowest caste -- and that this noble institution was started by a Brahmin, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, makes a wonderful story, both for the print and electronic media?

That is what I believed, at any rate. So when I discovered that the Art of Living Foundation was conducting workshops for all coolies, irrespective of their religion and caste of the Delhi railway station -- and that quite a few of them were Brahmins -- I thought I could share this story and the Sulabh Shauchalayas scoop, with a few journalistic acquaintances, who would jump on it with glee. Unfortunately I was very wrong.

Initially, some young journalists were enthusiastic and joined us in our investigation. We expected the story to hit the headlines soon and be taken up by the entire press, hungry for something different than the strike of the medicos, or Arjun Singh's adamant attitude. But nothing happened.

We called them day after day, proposed some more data, but still no story came out. Then one of the young journalists, working for one of the largest media outfits in India told us off the record that the sub-editor, backed by the editor, had killed the story in true journalistic freedom.

The second scenario we encountered was stone silence: the star anchors, bureau chiefs, editors of national English newspapers whom I personally contacted, either did not return my calls or were evasive.

Third scenario: Downright hostility: "You're a right winger, a pro-BJP-RSS journalist" etc. What does truth and investigative journalism have to do with the BJP (who by the way did no more than the Congress for the Kashmiri Brahmins, for instance, when it was in power)? I don't know.

Some journalists, initially willing to do a story, backed out after some time under the pretext that the data was not solid enough. Not solid enough? Does flimsy and unchecked data ever stop the Indian media to publish slanderous stories in the recent past?

Then, I came to the conclusion that more than fifty years later, the Nehruvian culture which directly brainwashed two generations of Indians in certain thinking patterns, has survived today. Actually, you have to go farther back than Nehru. For Jawaharlal was a true end product of Macaulay's policy of creating Indians who would be Indians by the colour of their skins, but British in their thinking. Thus, the English outlook on India survives today in India's intellectual class, particularly the journalists, who often cast a Westernised, anti-spiritual, pro-minority, anti-majority, un-Indian, anti-Brahmins and other upper castes -- look on their own country.

It is true that Nehru started from a positive volition: How to solve India's huge class and caste disparity? How to appease a Muslim minority which ruled India ruthlessly for ten centuries and was not ready to be ruled by those who were for a long time Islam's pliant subjects?

But Nehru went overboard. He made the paupers of yesteryear the saints of modern India, allowing some states to literally hound out Brahmins and other upper castes. He twisted history and thanks to docile historians, made of cruel Muslim invaders and rulers, the benefactors of medieval India.

He went to the extent of excusing the razing and sacking of thousands of exquisite temples all over India, by saying that Muslim invaders such as Babar did it because these temples were full of hidden gold and jewels, damning again indirectly the poor hapless Brahmins, who were beheaded by Muslim invaders, crucified in Goa by the Portuguese Inquisition, vilified by British missionaries, and morally crucified today by their own brothers and sisters.

It is true that Brahmins may be paying today for the excesses of yesterday. In ancient times, as Sri Aurobindo wrote: 'A Brahmin was a Brahmin only if he cultivated the spiritual temperament and acquired the spiritual training which alone would qualify him for the task.'

But once Brahmanism became hereditary, arrogance, complacency and casteism became rampant, ultimately bringing the downfall of Brahmins, a downfall which the Dalai Lama defines (for his own people) as Black Karma.

Thus, thanks to the lingering influence of Nehruvianism, 'Brahmins' remain today a dirty word, even in the face of reality: that Dalits have considerably come up since 1947 in Indian society, that no nation in the world has done so much for its underprivileged (India had a Dalit President -- did the US ever have a Black President?). But the intellectual elite of India, which never mentions these facts, continues to hide its face in the sand like an ostrich, refusing to see the reality.

And rampant anti-Brahmanism and upper castes, first used by the Muslim invaders, then by the British colonialists and missionaries, is still in vogue at the hands of Nehruvians, Marxists, Indian Christians and politicians in search of the votes of Dalits and Muslims, which combined together make and unmake prime ministers.

Yet, Brahmins and other upper castes have played an invaluable role in Indian history, as Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of the Sulabh Shauchalaya Movement remarks: 'Society sustained the Brahmins and other upper castes earlier, who upheld the Hindu scriptures and Hindu culture. Today Hinduism is on the decline day-by-day. There is a lack of ancient knowledge. No political party has objected to reservation thanks to vote-bank politics. People have a very short memory. They have forgotten the contribution made by Brahmins to our society.'

And who says that Brahmins and other upper castes are anti-Dalits. Some of India's top avatars, saints and gurus were of low caste and are still worshipped today by all upper castes. Valmiki, the composer of the Ramayana, was a fisherman; Ved Vyasa, the epic poet of the Mahabharata, which also contains the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible of Future Humanity, was the son of a fisherwoman; Krishna was from the shepherd's caste. And are not today's Amritanandamayi or Satya Sai Baba of low caste birth? Don't they have millions of Indians, many of them from upper castes, bowing down to them?

Anti-Brahmanism has to be stopped!

This inter-caste war, triggered by the politicians' greed for votes, has to be defused.

FACT, my Foundation, which conducts exhibitions on persecuted minorities, whether the Kashmiri Pandits, the Christians, Buddhist Chakmas and Hindus suffering in Bangladesh at the hands of fundamentalists in Bangladesh, or the Tibetans facing a cultural and spiritual genocide in Tibet, decided to take things in hand.

We started, with the help of a few dedicated friends, a film on Brahmins and other upper castes as an underprivileged community. This film will lead to a photoexhibition and hopefully to a book. All testimonies and documents are welcome.

The future of this country lies in a unified India, where all castes will find their just place, where all will feel Indians first and belonging to this caste or that one, after.

Francois Gautier

A Hindu Movement Born

A Hindu Movement Born
By: Moorthy Muthuswamy PhD
February 28, 2005

Feedback

(The views expressed here are author’s own. The writer is a nuclear physicist based in America. He is also a director of Indian American Intellectuals Forum, a New York-based non-profit organization. His contact address: MoorthyM@comcast.net)

Introduction

There has been an increasing awareness of genocidal acts of Islam and Muslims in South Asia – directed toward exterminating non-Muslim cultures in this part of the world and extend Islam’s fascist frontiers. This is particularly so among Indians settled in the United States. Such awareness didn’t exist when I started focusing on this topic about seven years ago. Since then a series of publications by me and others have built up this awareness that is now showing signs of becoming a movement.

Lacking an institutionalized backing Hindus in America are frustrated by their inability come together as a community to defend their interests. As I have pointed out, past has shown that “You are only as strong or as weak as your community”.

While many may not realize it, a Hindu movement has been underway to tackle militant Indian Islam right here in America. This paper discusses how an organized and focused movement can be built and take the war to the enemy.

What is at Stake?

Let me first point out what is at stake for Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and their families who don’t even live in India. If India fails and gets destroyed they will be seen as an extension of a failed civilization. This will lead to future generation Indian children disassociating themselves from Indian religion, language and culture. A much weakened or destroyed India could result in the repetition of Fijian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi experiences for Hindus around the world. On the other hand a thriving India will offer opportunities – from religious, cultural, economic to social. It will be a good “brand” to be associated with. A strong India will come to the aid of Hindus everywhere. Finally, we all look impotent in allowing Islam to destroy India. Time has come to permanently crush Islamic fascism!

Upper middle class and rich in India appear to benefit from freedom enshrined under Indian democracy. However, the escalating costs of battling militant Islam within India, subsidies and reservation extracted unfairly by Indian Muslims is taking away land, wealth and opportunities from deserving Hindus. Also, due to these costs India is unable to invest significantly in education, improve infrastructure etc to achieve strong economic growth rates and create more opportunities. Unlike the Hindus in cities, the Hindu poor in villages have not seen their lives improve. Frustrated, increasingly they are embracing naxal ideologies. Hence in the long-run, without a decisive leadership to deal with both fast-growing and extremized Muslims and naxals, India is all set to crumble from within. Upper middle class and even the rich will then loose everything, not just wealth -- like in Muslim majority regions of Pakistan, Bangladesh or Kashmir valley from where Hindus were driven out to India.

At the moment the majority Hindu population is too fragmented due to anti-majority, pro-jihadi left-oriented Indian media’s one-sided view. Hence this confused majority hardly understands the extent of the ongoing jihad directed at them and how to fight back. This Hindu fragmentation in combination with united Muslim pressure on elected regimes has led to extreme marginalizing of majority interests, and promotion of various forms of jihad Indian Muslims have readily embraced. Short-term freedom under the current dysfunctional Indian democracy certainly means eventual long-term annihilation (How can India Defeat Militant Islam?)!

Hindu Movement Building is on!

In a recent exchange between Indian express columnist Tavleen Singh and a jihadi-front represented by Teesta and Javed, most reader comments came from Hindu NRI based in America. This is activism at the very best. Also, the recent mobilizing in America against Association for India’s Development (AID), an organization with links to pro-jihadi communists in India is notable. Nowadays with the advent of Internet, Hindu NRI’s comments are often seen in most Indian newspapers and magazines. What is notable is NRI’s ability to articulate in a knowledgeable fashion and their promotion of Hindu majority’s interests.

Internet has made accessible vital alternate views of mine and many others, making Hindu fight back feasible. It has also created a new opportunity to bring together or “institutionalize” Hindu community in America. Internet has brought Hindus together, in ways, religious and social institutions could not! The movement we are now seeing with American Hindus is almost exclusively internet-based. This movement is inherently de-centralized (a good thing!) and multi-faceted.

India has been ravaged by Islam in the last sixty years or more because of this reason: Inability of Hindus in India to work together to promote their interests. The weakly institutionalized nature of Hinduism too has not helped. The root cause of this lies in a civilization that was under slavery for a thousand years (Slaves, Servants & Rulers). Left alone, current trends indicate that India is certain to be doomed under the onslaught of Islam.

I would put NRI in America as a community that is gaining the attributes of a ruling class. I am proposing here that Hindus based abroad, and particularly in the United States, help Hindus back home build a movement culminating in eradicating genocidal Islamic fascism. As we will see with the advent of Internet this is a doable project, and importantly, it will be an intellectually challenging and an immensely satisfying one. In addition, as I pointed out before, this is actually an investment in the future of NRI children.

At the moment, aided by Indian Muslims and strategized by Pakistanis, Saudi Arabia and many other West Asian Islamic nations are pumping huge amounts of wealth in order to destroy India and extend Islam’s frontiers. This can be only defeated by able NRI community’s efforts and with their wealth acting as a counter weight to help the beleaguered Hindu children of India.

De-legitimize Indian Islam and Indian Muslims

In my earlier analysis titled How were Srilankan Hindus United? I had mentioned “The appropriate way to define Indian Muslims is to describe them as modern-day cannibals living among the civilized who continue to devour the civilized.”

For the sake of completeness I will point out how Indian Muslims have massively marginalized non-Muslims and largely exterminated them and their culture in EVERY area of South Asia where they have power through majority status. They have now reserved almost 25% jobs and other opportunities for themselves at the expense of non-Muslims (Muslim Reservation = Jihad). Conclusively, this points to most Indian Muslims being corrupt, evil, inferior, and genocidal cannibals.

If one person can carry out various forms of jihad, so can a large number of people, with most in the population base supporting this jihad. This scenario has developed among Indian Muslims thanks to corrupt, fraudulent and fascist versions of Islam practiced in India.

Does education or living in America change this Indian Muslim cannibalism? The most prominent Indian Muslim association in America, Indian Muslim council USA (http://www.imc-usa.org) is conducting various forms of jihad on the Indian state and even on the Hindu community in America. The modus operandi of these cannibals is simple: portray Indian Muslims as innocent victims but downplay their acts of violence and jihadism, while unfairly maligning Hindu organizations. This again goes to prove how corrupt, inferior, genocidal Islam practiced in India is.

South Asian Muslims genuinely believe, as followers of Islam, they are superior in everyway – when the reality is exactly the opposite, as borne by various indicators of progress. India’s recent resurgence is almost exclusively due to Hindu community which has openly embraced modernism, while the evidence only indicates Indian Muslims’ deep embrace of medievalism (Dynamics of Proselytizing). In fact, indiscriminate killings of Hindu children, women and men by South Asian Muslims in the last sixty years or more tell us that they do not even think that Hindus deserve to live. This calls for a strategy whereby South Asian Muslims and South Asian Islam must be demeaned and discredited in every way possible to create confusion among the flock and to finally set the stage for using massive force to permanently neutralize their threat.

Indian community in America shouldn’t give any form of representation to Muslims of Indian origin affiliated with jihad sponsoring associations. The onus must be put on Indian Muslims to prove that they want to be part of civilization.

It is legitimate to investigate the origins of Muslim “holy book” given that its tenets are used to impose war on non-Muslims. As agreed even by most Islamic scholars, the Koran was put together in the current format at least one hundred years after the death of Prophet Mohammed. It is said that when the Prophet made “revelations”, notes were taken in leaves and other material. Given the level of the ignorance exhibited by the Arabic tribes at that time it is highly unlikely that they could really appreciate any “revelations” or distinguish “real” ones. Even then, here is an open question: How complete, accurate or well-preserved were these “notes” for over one hundred years? This observation points out that calling this “holy book” as the “word of god” may be the biggest fraud imposed on humanity. This may also imply that the Muslim “law” -- Sharia may have little basis or credibility.

It is also quite appropriate to categorize Indian Muslims as slaves of non-performing and fascist Arab Muslim imperialism. The bottom line is that this proven inferior Arab-originated ideology couldn’t bring progress to most South Asian Muslim children and has perpetuated a never-ending war using them as a tool.

Even an America that is pluralistic and tolerant has seen the hollowness of its Muslim residents. Recently over 40% polled wanted American Muslim rights be restricted. In the long run this spells a bleak future for Islam in America, and once again discredits Islam and Muslims.

Taking on Journalists and Pseudo-seculars

It is no exaggeration to say that left-dominated Indian English language dailies are the gatekeepers of pseudo-secularism – a view that puts the blame on the beleaguered majority even as it is taken advantage of and victimized by a violent and exclusive minority.

It is a must to win over this Hindu pseudo-secular crowd if India is to successfully confront Islam. What is the reason behind their outlook? Among the reasons: the left dominated – pseudo-secular -- humanities faculty in Indian universities under whom the journalists studied. This, in combination with lack of objective analysis in media has led to sustaining utterly false ideas about what Indian Islam and Muslims stand for. Also, humanities, journalism in particular, get at best mediocre students, with the elite preferring to acquire professional degrees. These journalists have little idea of how problems are solved or wealth is created – in short, they have little idea of how a functional democracy works. Their sense of inferiority complex vis-à-vis elite of the society has been taken advantage of by Islamists who falsely portray their community as victims (Journalists: Unwitting Friends of Jihadis?).

In the long-run well-articulated submissions from NRI in the form of opinions or letters to editor should help change the mindset of the editorial boards in India-based newspapers. Even many Indian journalists are seeing these points of views for the first time. Also, the status of NRI as able and intelligent people can only help. Even these pseudo-secular Hindus are afraid of Islam. When they are made to see that Indian Islam and Indian Muslims are endangering the future of their children they will begin to see the light. Another area to work on is to contact the ownership of the newspapers and make them see how national interests and the very future of their children are being undermined by their editorial boards.

Entrenched and adamant pseudo-secular journalists or others need to be discredited by pointing out their “weak” humanities (if that is the case) background, and their possible mediocre high school track record. Almost the entire pro-jihadi gang of Indian pseudo-seculars in the United States – Angana Chatterjee, Vijay Prashad, to name a few – consists of individuals with such a background.

Action Items Going Forward

It is important for the movement to have a vision at hand. This vision should drive the action and strategies at the ground level. For instance, for most South Asian Muslims the vision is an Islamic conquest of South Asia. These communities have proven that they would use every level of barbarism to achieve this vision. This clear and evil vision has made South Asian Muslim communities very effective in advancing their cause.

The underlying vision for Hindus or even non-Muslim Indians is eradication of genocidal Islamic ideology within India’s boundaries. I am fairly confident that this is an achievable goal. I would like to further divide this vision into two stages.

Stage I

Since this movement has to eventually yield results in India, at this stage the goal should be to help Hindu majority in India identify Indian Muslims as the root cause of poverty and wealth-loss, insecurity, naxal insurgency, loss of jobs and opportunities (How were Srilankan Hindus United?). In other words, help most Hindus understand the big picture of Islamization of South Asia, including India at their expense and how to defeat it. To achieve these goals, I suggest the following action areas:

• Any project that weakens Indian Muslims and discredits Indian Islam or strengthens Hindus vis-à-vis Muslims is a good project
  
• Letter writing in India-based news media and in Indian-American news media -- make sure to list your educational credentials and professional standing
  
• Put the blame for naxal insurgency on Indian Muslims
  
• Befriend Indian editors visiting America, conveying the extent cannibalism practiced by Indian Muslims and put the fear of Islam in their minds. Also, use wealth to induce fear of Islam in the minds non-Muslim Indian dignitaries of all hue and suggest to them how India can finally overcome this centuries of bullying by Muslims
  
• Leverage subscriptions in weekly newspapers such as India Abroad to take an anti-jihadi and pro-Hindu stance
  
• Swamp pseudo-secular/jihadi arranged meetings on Kashmir, Gujarat etc with nationalistic fellows and simply impose our own agenda on them
  
• Cajole nationalist relief organizations such as India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) to focus on rehabilitation of Hindus – the forgotten and oppressed people of South Asia
  
• Websites such as USA: www.Indiacause.com, Canada: www.hccanada.com, can act as information centers for mobilizing activities -- countering the meetings organized by jihadis and their pseudo-secular friends. Nationalists NRI may find attending these meetings and voicing their views a good way of venting their inbuilt anger and be part of a movement
  
• Islamic fascism’s power flows from wealth. In order to neutralize it, non-Muslim Indians need to be nudged toward NOT giving employment or business to Indian Muslims – on the grounds that Indian Muslims are proven bloodthirsty, selfish and ruthless cannibals out to exterminate Hindus and other non-Muslims
  
• There should be an effort for a more unified front involving non-Muslim Indians given their aversion to Islam and given the reality that only a strong and united Hindu majority can ensure a secure, secular and prosperous India at the border of Islamic fascism

Stage II

Extensive campaigning by NRI as noted in Stage I should lead to flowering of a movement within India itself. This should materialize in regimes and leadership with a broad-based support that can act decisively against cannibalism Islam represents in India. An effective regime would undertake the following steps (Islam’s Weakness):

• Declaration of emergency or martial law
  
• Full-fledged military strikes on power centers of genocidal and cannibalistic Islam and liquidation of its hierarchy and core supporters. It has been shown that militant Islam is a one trick pony. Once these power centers are taken out, it has no way of striking back (The Art of War on Terror)
  
• Liquidate naxal leadership by calling them as friends of jihadis. Hindus across the society are simply fearful of Islam
  
• Ban the practitioners of cannibalism from jobs and holding property
  
• Drive out cannibal populations in the border areas and Muslim Bangladeshis to Pakistan or Bangladesh – the natural South Asian homes of cannibals
  
• Deploy religious freedom force (New Ideas for a New War) to liberate Indian Muslims from inferior, fascist and useless cannibalism to Hinduism
  
• With cannibalism gone, time to focus on wealth creation (A New Paradigm: Civilization through Wealth Creation)
  
• Only an Islamic fascism-free India can ensure a stable, secure nation that can focus on wealth creation. Large scale wealth creation will lead to uplifting of everyone, including the poor and a capable Hindu population. Such a capable population will automatically reflect a reformed Hinduism, including dissolved caste and other hierarchies

Moorthy Muthuswamy PhD

Is USA no. 1

No concept lies more firmly embedded in our national character than the notion that the USA is "No. 1," "the greatest." Our broadcast media are, in essence, continuous advertisements for the brand name "America Is No. 1." Any office seeker saying otherwise would be committing political suicide. In fact, anyone saying otherwise will be labeled "un-American." We're an "empire," ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in order to function. Yet the delusion is ineradicable. We're No. 1. Well...this is the country you really live in:
The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).
The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).
"The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries'" (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, p.78).
Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere!
"The European Union leads the U.S. in...the number of science and engineering graduates; public research and development (R&D) expenditures; and new capital raised" (The European Dream, p.70).
"Europe surpassed the United States in the mid-1990s as the largest producer of scientific literature" (The European Dream, p.70).
Nevertheless, Congress cut funds to the National Science Foundation. The agency will issue 1,000 fewer research grants this year (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004).
Foreign applications to U.S. grad schools declined 28 percent last year. Foreign student enrollment on all levels fell for the first time in three decades, but increased greatly in Europe and China. Last year Chinese grad-school graduates in the U.S. dropped 56 percent, Indians 51 percent, South Koreans 28 percent (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004). We're not the place to be anymore.
The World Health Organization "ranked the countries of the world in terms of overall health performance, and the U.S. [was]...37th." In the fairness of health care, we're 54th. "The irony is that the United States spends more per capita for health care than any other nation in the world" (The European Dream, pp.79-80). Pay more, get lots, lots less.
"The U.S. and South Africa are the only two developed countries in the world that do not provide health care for all their citizens" (The European Dream, p.80). Excuse me, but since when is South Africa a "developed" country? Anyway, that's the company we're keeping.
Lack of health insurance coverage causes 18,000 unnecessary American deaths a year. (That's six times the number of people killed on 9/11.) (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005.)
"U.S. childhood poverty now ranks 22nd, or second to last, among the developed nations. Only Mexico scores lower" (The European Dream, p.81). Been to Mexico lately? Does it look "developed" to you? Yet it's the only "developed" country to score lower in childhood poverty.
Twelve million American families--more than 10 percent of all U.S. households--"continue to struggle, and not always successfully, to feed themselves." Families that "had members who actually went hungry at some point last year" numbered 3.9 million (NYT, Nov. 22, 2004).
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The United States is 41st in the world in infant mortality. Cuba scores higher (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).
Women are 70 percent more likely to die in childbirth in America than in Europe (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).
The leading cause of death of pregnant women in this country is murder (CNN, Dec. 14, 2004).
"Of the 20 most developed countries in the world, the U.S. was dead last in the growth rate of total compensation to its workforce in the 1980s.... In the 1990s, the U.S. average compensation growth rate grew only slightly, at an annual rate of about 0.1 percent" (The European Dream, p.39). Yet Americans work longer hours per year than any other industrialized country, and get less vacation time.
"Sixty-one of the 140 biggest companies on the Global Fortune 500 rankings are European, while only 50 are U.S. companies" (The European Dream, p.66). "In a recent survey of the world's 50 best companies, conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European" (The European Dream, p.69).
"Fourteen of the 20 largest commercial banks in the world today are European.... In the chemical industry, the European company BASF is the world's leader, and three of the top six players are European. In engineering and construction, three of the top five companies are European.... The two others are Japanese. Not a single American engineering and construction company is included among the world's top nine competitors. In food and consumer products, Nestlé and Unilever, two European giants, rank first and second, respectively, in the world. In the food and drugstore retail trade, two European companies...are first and second, and European companies make up five of the top ten. Only four U.S. companies are on the list" (The European Dream, p.68).
The United States has lost 1.3 million jobs to China in the last decade (CNN, Jan. 12, 2005).
U.S. employers eliminated 1 million jobs in 2004 (The Week, Jan. 14, 2005).
Three million six hundred thousand Americans ran out of unemployment insurance last year; 1.8 million--one in five--unemployed workers are jobless for more than six months (NYT, Jan. 9, 2005).
Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea hold 40 percent of our government debt. (That's why we talk nice to them.) "By helping keep mortgage rates from rising, China has come to play an enormous and little-noticed role in sustaining the American housing boom" (NYT, Dec. 4, 2004). Read that twice. We owe our housing boom to China, because they want us to keep buying all that stuff they manufacture.
Sometime in the next 10 years Brazil will probably pass the U.S. as the world's largest agricultural producer. Brazil is now the world's largest exporter of chickens, orange juice, sugar, coffee, and tobacco. Last year, Brazil passed the U.S. as the world's largest beef producer. (Hear that, you poor deluded cowboys?) As a result, while we bear record trade deficits, Brazil boasts a $30 billion trade surplus (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
As of last June, the U.S. imported more food than it exported (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
Bush: 62,027,582 votes. Kerry: 59,026,003 votes. Number of eligible voters who didn't show up: 79,279,000 (NYT, Dec. 26, 2004). That's more than a third. Way more. If more than a third of Iraqis don't show for their election, no country in the world will think that election legitimate.
One-third of all U.S. children are born out of wedlock. One-half of all U.S. children will live in a one-parent house (CNN, Dec. 10, 2004).
"Americans are now spending more money on gambling than on movies, videos, DVDs, music, and books combined" (The European Dream, p.28).
"Nearly one out of four Americans [believe] that using violence to get what they want is acceptable" (The European Dream, p.32).
Forty-three percent of Americans think torture is sometimes justified, according to a PEW Poll (Associated Press, Aug. 19, 2004).
"Nearly 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2002, the last year for which such data are available" (USA Today, Dec. 21, 2004).
"The International Association of Chiefs of Police said that cuts by the [Bush] administration in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever" (USA Today, Nov. 17, 2004).
No. 1? In most important categories we're not even in the Top 10 anymore. Not even close.
The USA is "No. 1" in nothing but weaponry, consumer spending, debt, and delusion.

Facts About Balochistan

Facts About Balochistan
by
Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA)

• Prior to losing its sovereignty, Balochistan was never a part of Iran or Pakistan in recent history. In 1947 when the British Indian government was dissolved, all its treaties with Balochistan, an independent and sovereign state, also ended. But, both Iran and Pakistan have illegally and forcibly occupied Balochistan in breach of all international laws. This illegal occupation of Balochistan must end.
  
• Ever since the occupation of Balochistan, the Baloch (indigenous people of Balochistan) have resisted foreign rule, and are still fighting against Iran and Pakistan to liberate their country.
  
• In 1948, the first major Baloch insurgency was organized under the leadership of Prince Karim, younger brother of the ruler of Balochistan. The Pakistani military forces arrested him and incarcerated him along with his comrades as common criminals, not as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.
  
• Nawab Nowruz Khan Zehri, a 90-year-old Baloch leader, organized the second Baloch insurgency in 1958. A year later, the Pakistani military authorities arrested him along with his sons and nephews. His relatives were hanged and he was spared hanging to die a natural death in jail.
  
• The first Baloch War of Independence started in 1970, and it lasted for 5 years. During this War, the Pakistani armed forces used sophisticated weapons and were supported by Iranian gunship helicopters (piloted by Iranians) to crush the Baloch uprising. Over 50,000 Baloch and 15,000 Pakistani soldiers died in this war.
  
• The second Baloch War of Independence began in March 2005 when the Pakistani military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, refused to persecute a military officer (relative of a serving general) for raping an ethnic Sindhi physician in the Dera Bugti area of Balochistan. To further stroke the sensitivities of the Baloch, he provoked the Baloch nation by making derogatory statements. When the Baloch voiced their concerns, he sent the Pakistani armed forces to bomb the civilian population of Dera Bugti killing 60 and injuring more than 200 non-combatant Baloch nationals.
  
• In an attempt to assassinate the 79 years old Baloch veteran nationalist leader, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, the military forces bombed his personal residence. Fortunately, he escaped the carnage, and now he is up in arms along with his Baloch freedom fighters defending Balochistan.
  
• Since the occupation of Balochistan, the Islamic republics of Iran and Pakistan have systematically launched an “ethnic cleansing” operation against the Baloch people. For your information, the Baloch are secular and liberal, and their belief system clashes with the extremist Muslims of Iran and Pakistan. Although the colonizers are forcing the Baloch people to lose their national identity and aspirations of liberating Balochistan, the Baloch are resisting such efforts vehemently.
  
• Being the inhabitants of the resource-rich Balochistan, the Baloch people live in extreme poverty due to exploitation of their resources, like oil, gas and other minerals, by the occupying forces of Iran and Pakistan. Economic deprivation and lack of infrastructure development during the last 58 years of occupation has turned Balochistan into one of the most under-developed regions in the world.
  
• There are barely any educational facilities of any repute that dispenses specialized skills to the Baloch youth. But, with Pakistani and Saudi Arabian funding, the Pakistani intelligence agencies have established numerous Madrassas (religious seminaries) throughout Balochistan to transform the secular belief system of the Balochi culture.
  
• In Iran and Pakistan, it is considered an act of treason and labeled an anti-state activity to teach Balochi language and history in schools.
  
• Iranian and Pakistani government departments and its armed forces discourage employing any ethnic Baloch. All the senior bureaucrats serving in Balochistan are from outside Balochistan. The employment situation is worse in those departments that are responsible for maintaining law and order in Balochistan, as they are totally composed of non-Baloch people.
  
• In both Iran and Pakistan, the Baloch are considered anti-state elements. The state sponsored media labels them as “miscreants”, “bandits” and “terrorists”.
  
• President Muharraf calls the Baloch War of Independence as a mere pinprick by three tribal chieftains. He and his propaganda machine have misled and confused the global community about the seriousness of the freedom struggle by the Baloch people.
  
• There are over 6,000 Baloch activists arrested or missing in Pakistan. It is believed that the intelligence agencies have sent them to Gitmo-style prisons where they are either tortured or murdered.
  
• The Pakistan government has stationed more than 65,000 fully armed troops in Balochistan supported by airpower to solidify its occupation of Balochistan and protect its access and exploitation of the Baloch natural resources. They are also building three military bases within Balochistan to contain the Baloch freedom struggle.
  
• There are more than 600 Gestapo-style military check-posts erected throughout Balochistan to control the free movement of the Baloch people. The conditions are so bad that the Baloch people are now like prisoners in their own land.
  
• With Chinese assistance, the Pakistanis are building the Gwadar Port on the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz so that the Chinese can install their listening post to monitor all shipping movements in the region. This development is marginalizing the political demographics of the Baloch by populating the area with non-Baloch, primarily people from Punjab.
  
• Many prominent Baloch leaders in Pakistan, who want to seek asylum in foreign countries due to deteriorating conditions in Balochistan, have been put on the Exit Control List (ECL) and cannot leave the country. This act is against all human decency and it certainly violates their right as a human.
  
• Amnesty International, Asian Human Rights, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have repeatedly exposed the gross human rights violations committed by the Government of Pakistan in Balochistan.
  
• Pakistan and possibly Iran are using Balochistan as their site for nuclear testing and dumping nuclear waste. The local population has strongly objected to such use of their land by the occupation forces, but to no avail.
  
• The Baloch people are an oppressed nation, and they want the global community to get involved to assist in reinstating the sovereignty of Balochistan.
  
• In his recent State of the Union speech, President Bush stated that those nations that live under tyranny, the United States would support their freedom struggle.
  
• The Baloch nation pleads to the United Nations, the United States, and the community of nations to end the illegal occupation of Balochistan and stop the massacre of the Baloch people by governments of Iran and Pakistan.

Mir Azaad Khan Baloch
General Secretary
The Government of Balochistan in Exile
http://governmentofbalochistan.blogspot.com/

Monday, May 29, 2006

Merger or Annexation of Balochistan

We will begin to discuss the merger of Balochistan into Pakistan and the treatment that the Khan and the people of Balochistan received at the hands of the new, inexperienced, incompetent, but already representing their class interests, politicians who held the reigns of power. It must be made clear here that the Quaid-e-Azam immediately after independence became too ill to be able to oversee the daily running of government and left this to his trusted lieutenants. At the same time negotiations for the merger of Balochistan with Pakistan also devolved onto the shoulders of these very people. The subsequent problems in the merger and the maltreatment of Balochistan by the federal government began from this time onwards, leading to civil unrest in Balochistan for decades and culminating in the bloody civil war of 1973 to 1977.

Even after the armed resistance of 1948, 1958, 1960 to 1968, and the civil war of 1973-77, the attitude of all federal governments, civilian or military, has not changed in the least towards Balochistan. Herein lies the genesis of the so-called ‘Balochistan Problem’.

Following the preliminary talks between the nominees of the Kalat Government and the Government of Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam invited the Khan of Kalat to Karachi for discussions on the future status of Kalat. These discussions took place in October 1947. The Quaid-e-Azam advised the Khan to expedite the merger in view of the developing dangers from the neighbouring countries like Afghanistan and potential threat from the Soviet Union to the newborn State of Pakistan. He said, “I would sincerely advise you to merge your State with Pakistan. Both the States will benefit by this measure and as far as the demands and other problems of Kalat are concerned, these will be finally decided in a spirit of mutual friendship.” The Khan replied, “I have great respect for your advice and it is my considered opinion that Kalat’s merger is necessary in order to make Pakistan stronger. In this connection, I would suggest Balochistan, being a land of numerous tribes, the people there must be duly consulted in the matter prior to any decision I take, for, according to the prevalent tribal convention, no decision can be binding upon them unless they are taken into confidence beforehand by their Khan.”

With this provisional agreement the Khan returned to Kalat and promptly summoned the Kalat State Houses of Parliament, the Dar-ul-Awam and Dar-ul-Umra, and proposed to the House to accord him a mandate on the matter of Kalat’s merger with Pakistan. Both the Houses, however, contended unanimously that the proposal of Kalat’s merger militated against the spirit of the earlier agreement arrived at between the Kalat Government and the spokesmen of Pakistan on August 4, 1947, as also against the Independence Act of 1947. In view of this contention, the members proposed further talks with the Government of Pakistan on the basis of the agreements referred to. This decision of Kalat’s Parliament was forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, for necessary processing.

Shortly afterwards, the Quaid-e-Azam visited Sibi and during his stay there insisted upon the Khan to sign the merger documents in his personal capacity. Trivializing his own Houses of Parliament, the Khan affirmed to the Quaid that on his individual persuasion, the members of both Houses of Kalat’s State Parliament had signified their consent for merger, subject to such inconsequential conditions:

No laws will be enacted without the prior consent of the Baloch tribes as might affect their traditional customs and traditions.

The presence of all tribal Sardars is necessary at the ceremony of Kalat’s merger, if and when it takes place, and the Khan of Kalat and the Quaid-e-Azam should sign the merger documents before them.

The Quaid and Government of Pakistan should issue a statement eulogizing the role of the Baloch people in the cause of the historic culmination in the establishment of the sovereign Muslim State of Pakistan.

Lastly, the Quaid-e-Azam should personally address the traditional gathering of tribal Sardars, appreciating and acknowledging their sincere services in the cause of Islam and Pakistan.

The Khan by putting these conditions forward was trying to use the Quaid’s personal influence and persuasiveness to get the members of his Parliament to agree to merge Balochistan with Pakistan without preconditions. He further suggested that the Quaid should instruct the Agent to the Governor General (who was an Englishman at the time) to guide the Baloch tribal leaders into accepting the merger of their State without any hesitation. These manipulative measures undertaken by the Khan make it abundantly clear that the Baloch leaders were not in favour of the merger without first thrashing out crucial issues like constitutional status, provincial autonomy, judicial system, resource allocations, taxation, socio-economic development programmes, and all other governance subjects of vital importance in the life of a nation.

The Khan agreed to merge Kalat State with Pakistan in his subsequent discussions with S. B. Shah who confirmed the same in a letter to the Khan with these points:

“That you (the Khan) have at last acquiesced to merge Kalat State with Pakistan for the benefit of the people of Kalat.”

“That you have summoned the Dar-ul-Awam and Dar-ul-Umra on the 21st of this month, and that you would let us know the decision arrived at by them.”

Accordingly the Quaid handed over the matter to his newly formed cabinet. The members of the cabinet were new entrants to such high office and lacked the requisite experience of handling sensitive matters like the ethnological, historical, cultural and traditional background of the Baloch and the peculiar status of Kalat State vis-à-vis the agreements made between Kalat, the British, and subsequently Pakistan. The Quaid himself was by now very sick and weak in health and therefore unable to take part in governance or negotiations in any meaningful manner. His deputies were not of the same calibre and therefore it is no surprise that the affairs of Balochistan were mishandled from the very beginning. The Cabinet approached the merger of Balochistan with Pakistan in an atmosphere of apprehension and animosity.

The Khan still went ahead with his plans for the merger and informed the Government of Pakistan that:

My Government will get the merger of Kalat State finalized within three months.

In pursuance of Baloch traditions, the Khan of Kalat will proceed to Karachi along with his advisors to sign the merger documents as soon as these are finally drafted.

The federal cabinet, in the meantime, basing their policy formulations on absurd assumptions, was working on a scheme to break up the 500-year old State. The nature of their scheme, as it turned out subsequently, was tantamount to a political castration of the Baloch people. The cabinet decided to cut off Kharan and Lasbela by giving them an equal status to Kalat and obtaining their ‘mergers’ with Pakistan directly. Makran, which had been a part of the Kalat State for the last 300 years, was made independent of Kalat on March 17, 1948, and one of the three Sardars made its ruler. Thus Makran too was made a part of Pakistan. These hasty, illogical, irrational and politically illegal and oppressive steps naturally disillusioned the Baloch people. They rightly felt that all their erstwhile services and sacrifices in the cause of Pakistan were now forgotten. So deep was their despair and frustration that several of them wanted to revolt, and some did take to the hills making no secret of their intentions.

The neighbouring countries were quick to take notice of this vulnerable situation in Pakistan just a year after its birth. Reaction to this situation was particularly sharp in Afghanistan, India and Kashmir, resulting in:

The government and the people of Afghanistan becoming increasingly suspicious and adopting a hostile attitude towards Pakistan over the Durand Line.

Finding Pakistan in trouble, India annexed Hyderabad State on September 9, 1948, and militarily subdued it by September 17.

Capitalising on the situation, the Maharaja of Kashmir also merged his State with India.



Sheikh Asad Rahman
Freelance Columnist

Roots of terrorism - Hindus suffered maximum brunt

A Report

Roots of terrorism
Hindus suffered maximum brunt

From Narain Kataria

Symposium on roots of terrorism in Washington, D.C.

A Symposium on “Roots of terrorism” was organised by America’s Truth Forum in Washington, D.C. last month. It was attended by prominent and highly-placed scholars and experts on Islamic Studies. Most of them were celebrities and frequent guests on national TV and Radio Stations. Dr. Babu Suseelan, a Psychologist and Director of Addiction Research Institute, PA and Board Member of Indian American Intellectuals Forum (IAIF) presented his viewpoint in a forceful manner.


The symposium was well attended by about 400 intellectuals and US opinion makers; majority of whom were Jewish and Christian Americans. IAIF members too were present in a sizable number. This was a rare occasion for IAIF members to interact with American mainstream personalities and exchange the Indian viewpoint openly on the menace of terrorism. It was, probably, for the first time that the presence and scholarship of Hindu Americans was recognised and appreciated by renowned global experts on counter-terrorism. Surprisingly, many of these well recognised experts on counter-terrorism did not know enough about the terrible atrocities perpetrated on peaceful Hindus by the Islamic invaders and rulers.


Dr. Babu Suseelan explained that it was absolutely essential for the world to understand the deadly ideology that successfully transforms the simple human beings into deadly suicide bombers and terrorists.


He said that we cannot deal with the problem of terrorism until and unless we completely comprehend the ideology which extols the virtues of killing and preaches hate, incites violence and enjoins on its followers to instill terror in the hearts of those who do not believe.


Many of the Islamic injunctions make the co-existence of Muslims with any other people almost impossible. That is the reason why Muslims have been in a state of perpetual war wherever they live, be it Afghanistan or Iraq, Chechnya or Sudan, Kashmir or Thailand, Indonesia or Bangladesh, Philippine or Spain, USA, UK, or India.


It is vital to understand that Islamic menace exists because of liberal’s habitual tolerance of intolerance. Their tolerance of intolerance is not tolerance. This type of pathological tolerance, sobering sympathy for Jihadists and stony indifference to victims is immoral and barbaric.


Tracing the history of India, Dr. Suseelan pointed out that the Afghanistan was once Hindu and a part of the original India of that time. In 1947, Pakistan too was forcibly carved out of the Indian Territory by Islamists. Now, feverish efforts are on by all Islamic nations to wrest the Indian Kashmir from the Hindu India. Threats of violence, loot, murder and rape of Hindus—all familiar tools of terrorism—have become a routine thing in Kashmir today.


Some of us mistakenly believe that terrorism in the world began from 9/11/2001. This assumption is based on ignorance, lack of historical background and devoid of factual data. For example, India has been experiencing terrorism for hundreds of years. Even the so-called Moghul King ‘Akbar-the-Great’ had killed 30,000 to 40,000 innocent Hindus in one day.



It is common knowledge in India that 14,000 young Hindu girls had to burn themselves in fire in a city named Chittor in a western sate of Rajasthan in India when Hindu soldiers were not able to defend the honor of their womenfolk against the barbarian Islamic forces. Timur-the-Terrible ordered his soldiers to kill 100,000 Hindu prisoners in one day. Tuzk-i-Timuri, the book written by his historian records ‘In a short span of time all the people in the fort were put to sword, and in the course of one hour the heads of 10,000 infidels were cut off. The sword of Islam was washed in the blood of the infidels.’


Almost entire world knows that six million Jewish people were murdered by Nazis. It is also known that 1.2 million Armenians were butchered by Turkish Muslims.


Will Durant, the celebrated author of ‘The Story of Civilization’ has said that “The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history.” Anwar Shaikh, a Pakistani Muslim scholar of repute settled in UK, in his book ‘This is Jihad’ says that “The Muslims must fight non-Muslims. Mr. Koenraad Elst, the Belgian scholar and Indologist says that there is a place in Afghanistan called The Hindu Kush, which means the slaughter of Hindu.


At present, Hindus are under siege in India. Muslim population there is rising with leaps and bounds. There are 162 million Muslims living in Pakistan. There are approximately 150 to 160 million Muslims in India; Bangladesh has another 147 million Muslims. Roughly one-third of the world’s Muslim population lives in the Indian sub-continent. This is a very frightening scenario for India.


Enlightened audience in the high-profile Symposium was horrified and shocked at the information provided and profusely applauded Dr. Suseelan time and again. Later, many groups invited him to speak on television, radio, and in their meetings.


These were some of the luminaries who participated in the Symposium: R. James Woolsey, former Director of CIA, Dr. Paul Williams, former Consultant to FBI, Dr. Bruce Tefft, a founding member of the CIA’s Counter Terrorism Center, Dr. Andrew Bostom, Editor of “The Legacy of Jihad”, Joe Kaufman, Investigative Journalist for Frontpage Magazine, Robert Spencer, Director of Jihad Watch, David Horowitz, President of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, Walid Shobat, a former PLO functionary, Brigitte Gabriel, a former anchor for world news in the Middle East and a prominent Arab-American journalist, Dr. Harvey Kushner, a noted author, lecturer, professor and internationally recognized authority on terrorism, Kenneth Timmerman, a nominee for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

(The writer is President, Indian American Intellectuals Forum, New York.)

Paradoxes of the oriental mind

Think It Over

Paradoxes of the oriental mind

By M.S.N. Menon

Inscrutable—that is what the West says of the Eastern mind. More so of the Japanese and Chinese mind.


Buddhism turned the Indian into a man of peace; but it turned the Samurai (Japanese) into a man of war. Paradox? Yes. There is something in Japan that we are yet to understand.



In 1543, a Portuguese ship came up blazing its guns. The Japanese copied it, adapted it and improved it. The Portuguese never again took to their adventures in Japanese waters.


In 1549 the Jesuit priest Francis Xavier came to save the Japanese from their alleged pagan spirits. The Japanese asked him: Where was your Christian God all these years? Didn’t He know of our existence? In 1636 Japan banned Christianity. Today 40 per cent of the Japanese population are Christians! And Japan is an associate member of the Whiteman’s club!


It is said that Japan has been a closed country for centuries. America forced it open in early 19th century. In a hundred years or so, Japan learned all that there was to learn from the West. What was more, Japan defeated Russia in 1904, annexed Korea, set up a Directorate over Manchukuo (China), carried out a massacre in Peking, attacked Pearl Harbour and, finally, occupied much of Asia during the Second World War. Asia was terrified. Europe and America were stunned.


The atomic devastation was unprecedented.


Did this great tragedy compel Japan to a new way of life? Not entirely.


Here was an island nation, which was living in constant dread of instant death and devastation from volcanoes and earthquakes, with little resource of its own. It should have become a nation of peaceful philosophers. But it became a militaristic nation. It drew out of Zen Buddhism (of all things) the cult of the Samurai—a military way of life!


They call Japan “God’s country” in all seriousness, worship the Emperor as divine and have a religion (Shintoism).


How can one know this country and its people? We can have no ready answers. And we have not yet given much thought to this, either. But we must. Japan is important for us as long as China’s intentions remain an enigma.


America tried to convert Japan into a Western style democracy. The success is superficial. The mind of Japan was and is beyond the reach of America.



The world was fascinated by the Japanese work culture. But, remember, it was this same work culture that produced the suicide bombers during the Second World War and the men who were ready to do harakiri.


Foreign journalists and academics are still kept at a distance. They are never allowed to have a free run of the country as in America. It is not easy to break this cultural barrier.


Japan may not have a censorship system. But it has a way of filtering the news for local and foreign consumption. And it has a strict screening system for foreign teachers. The idea is to prevent the foreign teachers from having long-term intimacy with the Japanese people and the subjects they are supposed to teach.


Few students go to Japan today to do research for the same reason. So, Japan gets its research done abroad through endowments. Thus, the MIT had 14 Japanese endowments at one time. Few countries “pick the brains” of the world as assiduously as the Japanese.


The Japanese are secretive by nature. Thus, they do not talk of their atrocities during the Second World War, nor do they allow these to be part of their text books. Frank discussion is, therefore, almost difficult to have.


It is said that Japan is sympathetic to India’s nuclear programme in view of the common threat from China. What are the facts? Japan has done everything to block India’s nuclear programme, but it remains mute about China’s programme. Inscrutable? Worse.


But worst of all is the paradox that while Japan used to live larger-than-life (to wit, its Kabuki dance form and the Samurai cult), today the emphasis is on the miniaturisation of life. Where will it take Japan? It is difficult to say.